Learning to express yourself through art is an important part of the curriculum here at Anna House and one of our favorite ways to do so is by decorating our classroom doors!
Throughout the month of October, our students worked together to come up with a theme for their door and they were thrilled to finally reveal the finished project in the week leading up to Halloween. Take a look below to see our 2020 Spooktacular Doors of Anna House!
BCCA is proud to lead the way in the empowerment of women, specifically the mothers of our children of the backstretch. BCCA’s Women’s Literacy Program is generously funded by the New York Women’s Foundation and this year BCCA launched a virtual learning program to address the issues of internet and education inequality. We worked hard to provide our mothers with the toolkits necessary to engage in virtual learning and we were proud to offer them iPads to allow for the continuation of English classes via Zoom in addition to encouraging the bonds between mother and child through both education and ESL opportunities.
BCCA is thrilled to offer our school-age students an opportunity to attend their local public school in a virtual setting at Anna House. We have provided our students with tablets and earphones and each classroom is equip with a white board for remote learning. BCCA is grateful to our generous grantors who make it possible for us to provide this technology at a time when internet inequality is so prevalent among under served communities.
BCCA has worked with our Bright Horizons staff at Anna House to create learning pods of 10 students/classroom and our Anna House teachers offer our students with one-on-one attention during their school day session as well as after school tutoring 5 days/week. Our teaching staff are also working with our parents to assist them with Seesaw Distance learning.
BCCA’s community partnerships are important because they connect us to our neighbors and provide us with opportunities to share our mission. The National Charity League-Garden City Chapter (NCL-GC) has worked closely with us for the past four years. The mother-daughter duos have served as after-school program tutors and mentors and they have included project driven teams to provide much needed support to our students and their families.
The NCL-GC Back to School project provided backpacks with school supplies for our school-age students as well as early childhood project supplies and snacks for all of our classrooms at Anna House: K-Prep, Pre-School, Toddlers, and Infants, too! Our students were filled with joy upon receiving their backpacks as the excitement begins to fill at Anna House with anticipation for a new school year.
NCL-GC is making a difference in the lives of our children by reminding them that, through these thoughtful donations, there are many incredible individuals in the community who remember them and take the time to make a difference. And, BCCA, in return, remembers the NCL-GC every day. In fact, they were a 2019 Honoree at our annual Spring Fling Hat Luncheon. We are truly grateful for their on-going support.
BCCA’s school-age students at Anna House are learning about science behind the importance of wearing masks and social distancing during this pandemic. Thanks to BCCA’s Integrated Arts Program our students use art to express their feelings and their understanding of the subject matter.
Washing hands on a regular basis is common practice in the classroom. Our school-age students learn the importance of practicing good health routines in an effort to combat disease.
BCCA hosted its annual fundraiser online this summer. The virtual party began on Monday, August 3 at noon and ran through Sunday, August 9 at noon. The virtual format served as a temporary substitute for BCCA's annual dinner in Saratoga. Over the seven-day period, supporters were invited to visit the website to enjoy video messages from well-known racing personalities, bid on our premium auction, learn about the call-to-action for our programs, and enjoy recipes from Saratoga Springs restaurants, amongst other interactive elements. All proceeds from the event supported BCCA's mission to care for the children and families of the backstretch, including the operation of Anna House at Belmont Park, as well as the forthcoming Saratoga Child Care Center, which is set to open in 2021.
On July 29, nine Students graduated from Anna House in a socially-distanced ceremony. Each child was given a backpack full of school supplies to take with them when they head off to Kindergarten in the Fall.
With strict new safety protocols firmly in place, the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) is set to reopen its Belmont Park daycare center Anna House, on Monday, June 22..
Anna House, the childcare and early-childhood education facility at Belmont designed for the families of backstretch workers, most of whom are based at Belmont Park, will reopen utilizing the most up-to-date health guidance established by the New York State Department of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.) and BCCA's educational consultant, Bright Horizons, to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Anna House closed on March 17, shortly before NYRA suspended live racing on March 19 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York. Live racing without spectators resumed at Belmont on June 3, and the spring/summer meet will continue through Sunday, July 12.
This week, teachers and staff at Anna House are receiving intensive training about the new protocols; and BCCA Executive Director Joanne K. Adams said she also intends to create more opportunities for the children to use distance learning and at-home instruction. "Virtual learning is a part of the 'new norm,' and we are committed to providing our children with the support they need to achieve success in school," she said.
In the more than two months that Anna House has been closed, BCCA staff have remained active in helping families on the backstretch, They mounted a drive to collect supplies for infants and toddlers who attend its education facility. Adams also worked with United Way of Long Island through its United Together Response Fund for COVID-19 to distribute donated gift cards, totaling more than $30,000 in value, to all backstretch workers at Belmont Park.
"Reopening Anna House has been our goal from the get-go and we're proud once again be fulfilling our mission of serving these families," said BCCA President Libby Imperio. "It will be wonderful to see the children again."
BCCA Board Chairman and co-founder Michael Dubb said the reopening marks an important step forward for backstretch workers, who kept fulfilling their duties, often at considerable personal risk, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Giving a solid head start to the children at Anna House is critically important to the whole ecosystem of the racetrack," Dubb said. "Backstretch workers are the unsung heroes of the racing world. Helping their kids helps them and makes our industry and sport a lot stronger. It's great to be getting back to what we do best."
"A mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."
– Victor Hugo
For a limited time, receive a BCCA custom-designed scarf with a $150 donation. The scarf has a hidden message, CHILDREN, spelled out in the nautical alphabet between the horses.
“Working as a team is essentially what we've been doing throughout the coronavirus outbreak,” said BCCA Executive Director Joanne K. Adams. “We're all dedicated to the same ends: Giving these families who are the heart of our sport, some relief at a difficult time. That's why this wonderful and unexpected gift from United Way of Long Island is so wonderful.”
While practicing social distancing, BCCA Executive Director, Joanne K. Adams, picked up gift cards for all of the Anna House families from Theresa Regnante, President and CEO of the United Way of Long Island.
We are most grateful for this important community partnership and we were delighted to share this connection with other backstretch organizations. As a result, over 700 backstretch workers at Belmont Park are also receiving gift cards during this time of crisis.
We send our immense gratitude and appreciation to the United Way of Long Island.
